Friday, March 30, 2018
In This Issue

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333 S. Wabash
16th Floor
Chicago IL, 60604
 
(312) 822-6699 

The USO of Illinois   annually  serves nearly 325,000 service members and their families at 5 USO Centers and through hundreds of programs and services. 

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Chicago Blackhawks Bring Kindness to USO Great Lakes
On Sunday, March 4th, Chicago Blackhawks staff visited USO Great Lakes for a special edition USO Great Lakes Sunday Breakfast. The event was part of the Chicago Blackhawks Foundation's Random Acts of Kindness week, an initiative designed by the Foundation to bring joy into the lives of Illinois community members. The breakfast served 335 service members and their families and began with a stunning rendition of the National Anthem sung by Jim Cornelison, the nationally-acclaimed Chicago Blackhawks tenor.  

Guests were able to meet Cornelison, receive signed photos from members of the Blackhawks Ice Crew, and participate in games and other fun activities. One of these activities included a blowup shoot the puck game where all participants won a prize.
 
USO of Illinois would like to extend a thanks to our partners and friends at the Chicago Blackhawks Foundation.

IHMVCU and USO of Illinois Join Forces
to Care for Deployed Service Members
While residents of the Quad Cities area have long received USO "Sweet Home Chicago" Care Packages while deployed, the USO of Illinois held a care package stuffing event for the first time in the Quad Cities. Jennifer Long, USO of Illinois Development Director, and Jackie Inman, USO Rock Island Center Director, worked alongside employees of the International Harvester Mississippi Valley Credit Union (IHMVCU) to create care packages for service members stationed overseas.
 
IHMVCU employees collected supplies from community members and then  volunteered their time to create 100 care packages. Items in USO "Sweet Home Chicago Care Packages" are requested by military members and are hard to find while serving overseas, and include snacks, coffee, tea, gum, batteries, movies, books and toiletries.  
 
Chris Miller, USO of Illinois Director of Center Operations and Volunteer Services, is a veteran of overseas conflicts and mentioned how grateful he was to receive care packages while deployed. "There are people back in the United States that do care about you," he said, "and they show their support and love by sending these care packages with items from home that are not available during your deployment. So, it was really special every time I got one."

 
IHMVCU Marketing Manager Jenna Smith, oversaw the project and wanted to make sure deployed service members know that people in communities' back home are thinking about them. "This is just one way we can fill the gap locally, by supporting active military and their families," said Smith. "We want to show them our support."
 
USO of Illinois salutes IHMVCU for their dedication to serving the military community.
USO of Illinois Premiers USO Diaper Division
at USO Great Lakes
USO of Illinois is thrilled to announce a new arrival to youth-focused programs: USO Diaper Division! The program launched on January 22nd at USO Great Lakes and will run monthly. USO Diaper Division is targeted to military youth aged 0-2 who are accompanied by a parent or guardian. The program will feature special guests, musical artists, and other entertainers in a fun, informal setting. These interactive experiences encourage bonding between the littlest members of the military family and their parents. USO of Illinois hopes the program will support community building by allowing military parents to bond with the parents of other children, letting them know they're not alone.
USO Diaper Division and USO Discovery Kids
 Learn and Play at Kohl Children's Museum
On Wednesday, February 28th, USO Diaper Division and USO Discovery Kids met at Kohl Children's Museum in Glenview for a private event. Kohl Children's Museum offers 17 interactive, hands-on exhibits that use research-based methods to provide educational and engaging content for young children, while also offering them fun challenges to overcome. All exhibits and programs are aligned to Illinois State Learning Standards and are designed to nurture a love of learning in young children. Nearly 150 military family members attended, and all had a great time exploring the museum and spending time learning while they played.

USO O'Hare Chairs Get a Much-Needed Makeover
Chuck Seemayer, a USO O'Hare volunteer since 2014, recently dedicated his talents to reupholster the dining chairs in USO O'Hare's Terminal 2 Center. The dining chairs were previously tearing and in poor shape, making them uncomfortable for service members traveling through USO O'Hare. Chuck graciously donated his time and resources to give the chairs a makeover by fixing the upholstery. Now, the dining area is back to looking first class and comfortable for service members and their families.
 
USO of Illinois would like to thank Chuck for his years of dedicated service!
Partnership Profile: Leopardo
The USO of Illinois' mission is to not only provide programs and services to military in Illinois, but also to be a bridge between the civilian and military communities. Leopardo is one of the nation's largest and most respected construction firms, building world-class facilities with innovative processes across every major sector. Since its founding in 1977, the firm has grown to employ more than 400 industry professionals and completed more than $6.5 billion in construction projects. Within the organization, the Helping Hands Committee spearheads efforts to provide opportunities to serve communities in need. In 2017, Leopardo employees collaborated on more than 20 community service projects.
 
For several years, Leopardo has supported the USO of Illinois' street festival, Clark After Dark, with a monetary donation and the toe-tapping musical stylings of Liquidated Damages, whose front man Rick DuPraw is the Executive Vice President of Leopardo and a USO of Illinois Board Member. Through DuPraw's efforts, the Helping Hands Committee made it their mission to support and serve a USO No-Dough Dinner as well as collect items and a donation of $500 for USO of Illinois "Sweet Home Chicago" Care Packages.
 
"I initially got involved with USO of Illinois because, quite simply, I have a lot of respect for our service men, women and veterans. I've always admired how the USO brought entertainment to the troops during times of war when they needed it most," said DuPraw. Since 2014, Leopardo has given more than $44,000 to the USO of Illinois to support programs and services.
 
Thank you to Leopardo and Rick DuPraw for your dedication to our service members and their families. 
Pat Sanders receives the Ronald L. Friske Award
Patricia Sanders received the Ronald L. Friske Award at the USO of Illinois Board of Directors Meeting on March 15, 2018 in honor of her many years of dedicated service to the USO. The award is presented annually by the USO of Illinois to an individual who has provided outstanding service and support to those that serve our nation: the men, women and families of the U.S. Armed Forces.
 
The Friske Award is presented in honor and memory of Ronald L. Friske, a dedicated Director and Treasurer of the USO of Illinois.
 
Sanders served as the General Manager for Ravinia Festival. Patricia Sanders joined the USO of Illinois Board of Directors in 2002 and served as the Chairman of the Board from 2015 to 2016. During her time on the USO of Illinois Board of Directors, Sanders helped to facilitate thousands of in-kind ticket donations to Ravinia Festival concerts and events. These tickets were given, for free, to service members and their families to enjoy through the USO Tickets for Troops Program.
 
In addition, Sanders has donated more than $133,000 since joining the USO of Illinois Board of Directors. Pat can often be found at USO programs such as USO of Illinois' annual Thanksgiving Dinner, where she dons an apron to serve a hot meal to troops and their families.

Thank you to Pat Sanders for her over a decade of dedicated service to the USO of Illinois, our military and their families.